Dignified
by TakeToTheStars15
Summary: Rin Yuzuki has lived on her own her entire life, fending for herself in the Slums of Rukongai. She's a master swordswoman though. Read and find out as Rin unlocks her powers that are deep inside her and watch as she fights to battle the deep darkness that is stored inside her that will either make her or break her. And can she warm the heart of the cold Byakuya Kuchiki.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is my first Bleach Fanfiction. It's a ByakuyaXOC. Be gentle with it. I do NOT own Bleach, I am not that awesome. All rights go to Tite Kubo, I only own my OC everything else is his. Please don't kill me. Anyway I hope you enjoy!**

"You're such a pretty thing, what are you doing out here at this time of night?" One of them asked, his hand brushing up my arm causing me to shiver in disgust, my hand twitched for the blade that rested on my hip, but I wanted them to think they caught me.

"Okay boys, lets get her." One of them said, and the other two shouted in agreement.

"Now, that is where you are wrong." I quickly unsheathed my sword, making them all stumble backwards. "It seems to be I that has caught you." I dug my sword into the ground right beside one of the men's hands, a thin line of blood seeped from the small cut, I missed on purpose.

"Disgraceful men, chasing after women who you deem weak and helpless. Maybe the next woman you chase won't me as merciless as I. Now scram, you bunch of dirt bags." They all ran, screaming for protection and praying to the God's for mercy.

"That was quite a show." A deep voice said from behind me.

I swiftly grabbed my blade and turned on my heel, my blade stopped within an inch of the mans' face. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that his raven hair was held back by kenseikan. All I know is it's a sign of royalty.

"Forgive me. As you can assume, I'm quite jumpy." I sheathed my blade and gave a small bow.

"It's alright, I do not expect you to know who I am." There was barely any sign of any emotion in his voice, and you could read nothing from his slate grey eyes.

"Well. Then may I inquire as to who you are?"

"My name is Byakuya Kuchiki, Head of the Kuchiki Clan as well as Captain of the 6th Division."

"And why are you here? In the slums? That's an odd place to find a member of royalty." I looked up and met his emotionless eyes with ease.

"Well, Head Captain Yamamoto has come to be interested in you. You seem to be generating a great deal of spiritual pressure for someone who isn't a shinigami. I'm to take you in and train you to become a shinigami. These are orders from 1st Division."

"Hm. Alright. And I don't have a say in this?"

"I'm afraid not. As I stated, these are orders." The look on his face dared me to argue with him.

"Okay Kuchiki-sama, I suppose we should be on our way then, seeing as you're beginning to attract a lot of attention." I looked around out of the corners of my eyes and saw people beginning to come out of their homes, eyeing pretty boy with interest, though I have no doubt that these people could hardly lift a finger against him.

"Do you know how to shunpo?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"No. I know what it is, but I don't know how to do it."

Byakuya gave a sigh and moved over to me, sweeping me up into his arms with ease, I gave a small squeak of surprise and held on to him, afraid of being dropped. He said nothing, but I felt an odd dissipating feeling, and suddenly I left the slums behind. I was now in front of a beautiful house, well actually it was a mansion. Byakuya promptly set me on my feet as soon as we got there and took several steps away from me. I looked around and marveled at all the sakura trees that were among the grounds, their rose pink petals danging in the light of the moon.

"Rukia will show you to your room and get you your clothes and everything you will need. Meet in the training grounds at sunrise." And now I was alone, well I was for a split second. A young, and petite female stepped out of the house and rushed over to me. She had a short bob hair cut, with several messy strands that hung in front of her face and she had these big violet orbs that seemed to smile at you.

"My name is Rukia Kuchiki. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said bowing.

I returned the formality and bowed as well, "My name is Rin Yuzuki, and please the pleasure is mine." I liked this young girl already, she seemed very humble and kind, something I was not used to.

"Follow me to your room." She took my hand and began guiding me inside the house. The inside of the house was just as impressive as the outside. As Rukia led me through the winding mazes of the house we passed several maids and garden keepers who smiled and bowed to me slightly.

"Your room is right next to mine so if you need anything feel free to ask. You've got a set of clothes waiting for you, and the bathroom is right across the hall."

"Thank you Kuchiki-Sama." I said bowing, this place made me feel so small and inadequate.

"You can just call me Rukia. If you want, once you freshen up we can talk." She said giving me a sincere smile.

"I'd love that."

"Well, I'm right next door." She said before retreating to her own room.

I went into my own room, it was rather large and spacious, with very few things in it, a desk, a bed, and a single book shelf. But to me, it was already a place I was willing to call home. I grabbed the set of clothes that had been placed on my bed and went into the bathroom. No surpise here, it too was large and elegant. I sighed knowing already I would never fit in here, but I would try.

After a nice warm bath, I changed into the clothes that were given to me. It was a simple red kimono but it felt like it was made from clouds, it was so soft and felt like the very meaning of luxury against my skin.I walked over to Rukia's room and lightly tapped on the door.

"Come in." She called.

I opened the sliding door and walked in meekly, my head bowed, "Ah. Rukia? Would you happen to have a brush?"

She looked up from the piece of paper she had been writing on and gasped, "What is it?" I asked looking down at myself.

"You're so beautiful!" She exclaimed in earnest, making a blush cross my cheeks.

"Um, thank you..." I said quite flustered.

"Here come in, we can sit and talk. But only if you let me brush your hair." She said sticking her tongue out at me.

"Feel free." I said as I sat down in front of Rukia with my back to her.

Rukia made a small squeal noise and looked through a drawer before sitting behind me. I felt her grab sections of my and begin running a brush through it.

"So tell me about yourself, Nii-sama won't tell me anything so I've only heard rumors." Rukia said is a quiet voice.

"Well, I'm from the Slums, I don't know how I died or where my parents are or were. I've fended for myself all my life basically, I've taught myself everything I know. You're brother came and got my because he said that your head captain has been interested in me, he says I've been releasing great amounts of spiritual pressure and he wants me to become a shinigami. Anything is better than going back to the Slums..." The last part came out a bare whisper.

"You know, I'm from the Slums too. My sister left me when I was little, she married Nii-sama and then searched to find me until she died, she made Nii-sama promise to find me and take care of me."

"I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be, I hold no hard feelings, my sister was always very ill, and she searched for me until she could no longer search. I trained as a shinigami for a long time with my friend Renji, but eventually Nii-sama found me and adopted me."

We were silent for awhile, and I found myself growing tired rather quickly. Rukia set the brush down and stood up.

"We should probably get some sleep if we even want a stand a chance in training tomorrow." Rukia said with a yawn.

I stood up and nodded with a bow, "Thank you Rukia."

"You don't need to thank me Rin." She game a smile and then hugged me lightly.

"Get some rest, I'll get you up in the morning."

"Okay, good night." I said before leaving and returning to my own room.

I laid in my bed for a long time before sleep finally overcame me, but when it did, it was the best sleep I've had in my entire life.

"Rin! It's time to get up, we have training in an hour!" The voice called me from the realm of dreams.

I sat up groggily to find Rukia standing in my door way, a bundle of clothes in her arms.

"Good morning." I said, my voice still rough and filled with sleep.

"Morning, I've brought you your training uniform. I'll wait for you so I can show you to the dinning hall." She said handing me the clothes before leaving and closing the door behind her. I stretched before standing up, my limbs groaning in protest. I quickly changed into the clothes rukia gave me, the shirt was white and had loose long sleeves, and the skirt was long, stopping just a little bit above the floor and was a bright crimson red. I put my hair, that fell far past my waist into a high pony tail, securing it with a black ribbon. I secured my sword to my hip before stepping out where Rukia gave a nod of approval.

"You ready?" She asked looking up at me, she now wore what I assumed was a standard shinigami uniform, which was totally black except for the white obi that was tied around her waist.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I said stifling another yawn.

When we walked into the dining room Byakuya was already seated, his face hid behind a newspaper.

"Good morning Nii-sama." Rukia said with a bow.

"Good morning Kuchiki-sama." I said bowing as well.

Byakuya said nothing but gave a small nod of acknowledgement. We all ate in silence, though I couldn't really stomach much, I was far too nervous about training.

"Are you ready to go Rin, Rukia?" Byakuya spoke up, looking over the newspaper at us.

"Hai!" We both said in unison.

We followed Byakuya to the training ground, "Rin, You first, I want to see what you're capable of." Byakuya spoke in a voice that made me know there was no room for argument. We stood facing each other, we both bowed before drawing our blades. I could already feel the spiritual pressure rolling off of Byakuya in feasible waves, and my stomach sank with a dread, as he lunged for me. This was not going to be fun.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hullo Lovelies! Happy updating day! Hope ya'll enjoy this new chapter, leave me a review and tell me what you think. I've been appreciating the ones I've been getting, thank you. :) I don't own Bleach or any of it's characters, they belong to the amazing Tite Kubo. Have a fantabulous day**

Our swords clashed with a might that made the air around us ripple with tangible power, so much so that I saw Rukia step back out of the corner of my eyes. Neither of us would back down, my bright pink eyes held his with raw determination. I ducked down, his blade flew just above my head, and a single slip of hair got cut by his blade and slipped to the ground. I went to sweep his feet out from under him but he moved with incredible speed, suddenly appearing behind me. I brought my blade up, just in time to avoid being cut right in two.

"Nii-sama! Don't actually hurt Rin!" Rukia yelled from the side lines, I saw her out of the corner of my eyes, her face strict with panic.

Mistake. Byakuya crouched down and elbowed me in my stomach, sending me flying into a sakura tree. I slipped down to the ground but recovered quickly taking a defensive stance. Byakuya disappeared from my line of sight making me do circles, waiting and watching for his next move.

"Rin! Behind you!" I whirled around and brought my katana up just in time to meet Byakuya's next attack. The force of our impact made me slide back a few feet, but I held my ground.

"I'm glad you're not holding back. You're extremely powerful." I said, a small smirk on my face.

"You have seen nothing." His voice was steady and determined.

Byakuya suddenly brought up his hand and a bright red light flew from it, hitting me square in the stomach. I flew back into the ground and skid along it. It took me longer to get up, and before I knew it Byakuya was leaning over me, his blade poised at my throat.

"It seems I win."

I felt a feeling of anger bubble in my stomach and a need to prove him wrong, his eyes widened slightly before he stepped back, re-sheathing his blade.

"I was never going to hurt you, I only wanted to anger you to see how strong your spiritual pressure was, and I must say it is very impressive." He said offering me a hand. I took a deep breath to calm myself and subdue the anger before taking his hand allowing him to help me up.

"Are you okay Rin?" Rukia asked walking up to us, she was followed by a group of people who didn't look like they could be older than 16 or 17.

"I'm fine. Don't worry. Who are these people with you Rukia?" I asked turning to the group of four that stood behind her.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki." A guy with flaming orange hair said stepping in front of Rukia, dwarfing her with his tall height.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Rin Yuzuki." I said bowing.

"And this is Orihime, Ishida, and Chad." Rukia said motioning to each of the people.

"Oh! You're so beautiful, look at your hair!" The only girl in the group said as she stepped forward and engulfed me in a tight hug. "I'm Orihime by the way." She said as she took a step back and bowed. Compared to Orihime I seemed like a small child in comparison. She too had orange hair, it flowed down to her tiny waist in perfect waves, and her legs were so perfectly thin and long, I felt inadequate. I looked away from her to the young man with blue hair.

"My name is Uryu Ishida." He said bowing, and I returned the gesture. Next was the man who looked Latino and towered over me, at least 6'5 in height.

"I am Yasutora Sado, but my friends call me Chad." His deep voice said and he bowed slightly.

"Well, if we're done with introductions may I ask what you're doing here Kurosaki?" Byakuya's voice cut through us making us all fall silent and turn to him.

"Well, I honestly forgot what I was doing here. I got caught up watching you and Rin fight. You're very skilled Rin. Are you a new shinigami?" Ichigo asked turning his attention to me.

"Um, no I'm not. I'm going to start training to become one though."

"Wow, well best of luck to ya. We should probably get going. Bye Rukia, bye Byakuya." Ichigo said as him and his gang ran off. Byakuya showed a look of displeasure at Ichigo calling him by his first name but remained ever silent.

"Training is over for the day, but Rukia I would like you to take Rin and introduce her to the Captains."

"Yes Nii-Sama." Rukia and I both bowed to Byakuya but before we left I turned to him.

"It was fun sparring with you Kuchiki-Sama." And with that Rukia and I left.

As soon as we left the estate we were bombarded by a tall and very busty woman with flaming orange hair.

"Kuchiki-San! Where have you been?" She said hugging the both of us tightly though I had no idea who this woman was.

"Rangiku-San, you're killing me...can't..breathe!" Rukia tried to push herself away from the woman.

The woman stepped back and looked at me, "Who are you my Dear?"

"My name is Rin Yuzuki. It's a pleasure to meet you." I said and bowed.

"No need for formalities. My name is Rangiku Matsumoto." The woman smiled at me, but then her faced turned into one of shock.

"You're the one everyone's been talking about!"

"Everyone has been talking about me?" I asked giving a confused look to Rukia.

"I'll explain later, we have to go. It was nice to see you Rangiku-San." Rukia said as she grabbed my hand and led me away.

Once we were far away, Rukia breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Don't mind her, she tends to be a bit out there." Rukia said with a laugh.

"Why has everyone been talking about me?" I asked stopping and turning to Rukia.

"Keep walking, I'll explain everything on the way to see Ukitake-Taicho." Rukia said, she took a deep breath before speaking, "You've been causing abnormalities in the spiritual pressure here, the waves of reiatsu you've been exerting have a tremendous amount of power hiding in them. It's been enough for Head Captain Yamamoto to have a Captains Meeting about it. For you to exert such high amounts of pressure and not even be a shinigami is something that has never really happened before. To let out high amounts of reiatsu you either have to be a high ranking shinigami or a Captain."

"I was never even aware that I was releasing any spiritual pressure at all."

"Don't worry, it'll all get figured out. Right now I want you to meet Ukitake-Taicho, Captain of the 13th division."

We approached a sliding door and Rukia rapped on it lightly, "Ukitake-Taicho?"

"Rukia-San! Come in, come in!" A cheery voice sounded from the other side of the door.

Rukia opened the door and the two of us stepped in. A man with silver white hair was sitting behind a desk stacked high with paper up to the ceiling.

"Hello Rukia, who is this beautiful young woman you've brought with you today." The man asked, his emerald green eyes sparkling with laughter and amusement. Rukia pressed her hand to the small of my back and pushed me forward a little bit.

"My name is Rin Yuzuki. It's a pleasure to meet you Ukitake-Taicho." I said bowing.

Ukitake stood up, though it seemed quite difficult for him as he began coughing immediately, Rukia ran over and helped support him. Ukitake waved Rukia away with a laugh and walked over to me.

"I was wondering when I was going to get the honor of meeting you." He said taking my hand in his, lightly kissing the back of it, causing my face to heat up.

"What do we owe the honor Rukia?" Ukitake said releasing my hand and turning to Rukia.

"Nii-sama wanted me to introduce Rin to all of the Captains. So I decided to start with my own Captain."

Ukitake let out a small laugh that turned into another coughing fit, "Ukitake-Taicho, you should sit back down. Don't over exert yourself." Rukia said rushing over to her captain, walking him back over to his desk.

"Thank you Kuchiki-San. I'll be alright, don't worry about me. It was an honor to meet you Rin. Please have a nice day." Ukitake called behind us as Rukia led us out of his office.

Rukia and I began walking along the streets again to go to the next division when the ground began to shake. People began running past us, away from something. The ground began to split open and I pushed Rukia away so she wouldn't fall in, I slipped and began falling into the open gape in the Earth, when someone grabbed my wrist. I looked up to see Ukitake, his face strained, but a small smile on his lips.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Nowhere, I'm just hanging around." Ukitake lifted me up and I quickly scrambled to my feet.

"What's going on Ukitake-Taicho?" Rukia called

"Several hollows have appeared near the 10th Division. They're extremely strong. We must hurry." Ukitake said as he began running towards the 10th Division.

Rukia and I shared a look before following suite.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long, I apologize haha. Hope you enjoy this chapter, leave me a review and let me know what you think because they are greatly appreciated! **

The ground shook the closer we got to 10th Division, I felt a weird presence in the air, something horribly off.

"Ukitake-Taicho! What's going on?" I asked glancing over at him.

"It seems that several large hollows have appeared in the 10th division."

"What's a hollow?" I asked, I mean I had heard of what they were, but I had no idea what they really did.

"Hollows are corrupted souls who do not cross over to Soul Society when they die. Souls turn into hollows whenever their hearts are filled with despair or regret, or they stay in the Human World for too long." Rukia explained.

"So I assume they're dangerous." I said taking out my blade as the ground shook with another, more violent tremor.

"Yes. They have the ability to be very, very dangerous." Ukitake said.

As we got into 10th Division the walls were standing only in pieces, and I saw several bodies lying on the ground, some of them groaning in pain, some unmoving.

"Rukia, get the injured to the 4th Division quickly. Rin follow me." Rukia quickly began lifting patients and I followed Ukitake as we ran through the crumbled corridors of what was left as 10th Division. I saw the hollow before we were near it. It was gigantic, with a hole through what would be it's stomach and white spikes protruded from its' neck. It swung it's arm down, causing rock and concrete to cascaded into the air along with the screams of other shinigamies. Ukitake and I rounded the corner, coming face to face with the hollow.

Just as Ukitake was about to attack he began coughing up blood onto the concrete, "Ukitake-Taicho!" I called alarmed.

"Don't worry about me Rin! Get the hollow!" He yelled in-between fits of coughing.

I rounded and attacked the hollow with all my might jumping into the air. My blade cut into the shoulder of the hollow, but from there it didn't budge. It's hand came up and flicked me away like I was just a fly. I crashed into the ground and my breath was taken away, I sat there gaping like a fish trying to fill my lungs with air again. Suddenly, the ground opened up again and two more hollows emerged, letting out ear piercing shrieks into the air.

Suddenly a figure jumped into the air above me, "Sit upon the frozen heavens Hyorinmaru!"

The guy landed in front of me, his back to me. He looked like a mere kid, but I felt the power that seemed to sizzle around him. He held out his blade and a strong of ice came from the tip of his katana, which formed into a dragon made of ice. It clashed with the hollow and instantly froze it in place.

"Whoever you are! Hit the hollow now!" He ordered.

I didn't hesitate, I jumped into the air and came down on the hollow. The ice cracked, and the hollow along with it. This made the other two roar in anger, they both raised their hands and a red light shot from them. I jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being hit directly, but the laser grazed my shoulder inducing a blinding pain.

The guy with white hair easily took out the other two hollows before sheathing his blade. I griped my shoulder in my hand, blood seeping out from in between my fingers. I grimaced in pain.

"My name is Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of the 10th Division." He said, holding his head high.

"I'm Rin Yuzuki." I said clenching my teeth.

"We must get you to Squad 4, you're injured." He said, his eyes flickering over to my bleeding shoulder.

"There are more people who are in a more dire situation. I'll be healed later." I said tearing off a piece of my training outfit to wrap it around my shoulder.

Hitsugaya made a huffing noise before walking over to Ukitake, "We've taken a substantial amount of damage. There may be several dead. Those were menos grande, high level ones at that. They came here from Hueco Mundo."

"That's what I suspected. Go report to Head Captain Yamamoto. I'm taking Rin to 4th Division." Ukitake walked over ot me and picked me up as if I weighed nothing.

"Ukitake-Taicho! Put me down! I can walk just fine!" I ordered.

"You've lost a great deal of blood if you haven't noticed." I looked over to the spot I had been previously occupying to see the ground was in fact covered in blood. My blood. Just the sight of so much blood made my head spin with dizziness, and I fought to keep from passing out. Blood was nothing new to me, but still it had the effect of making me sick to my stomach rather quickly.

"I'll go report." Hitsugaya said as he walked away. My vision grew dimmer and I struggled to hold a grip on the real world as it slowly slipped away like sand through my fingers. It all went black.

I opened my eyes to find Rukia's worried face standing over me, with Orihime alongside her, both staring at me intently.

"Rin! You're awake! Thank goodness!" Orihime cried tears of joy.

I went to sit up but a flash of white hot pain seared through my arm and I slumped back down, "You mustn't move, you're still in a very delicate state. That cero really got you. Even though it wasn't a direct hit." Rukia said as she eased me to where I was partially sitting up.

I felt dazed as I looked around, trying to completely get my bearings before speaking, suddenly the door opened and a woman walked in with long black hair that was tied in front of her in a braid.

"Hello, my name is Retsu Unohana, Captain of the 4th Division. How are you feeling Rin?" The woman had a soft spoken voice and radiated a kindness that resembled that of a mother.

"I'm alright, thank you." I said as politely as I could.

"You should be good to go back to the Kuchiki house, your wounds are healing just fine, at a rapid rate even. It's a pleasure to meet you by the way." Suddenly she was whisked away by a man talking about a seriously injured guy.

But the door didn't even get a chance to close before it was opened again, this time Ukitake walked in. When his eyes found mine it seemed like he gave a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness you're alright. I was worried there for a second." He said as he walked over next to my bed.

"It's I, who should be worried about you. You were coughing blood everywhere!" I exclaimed.

"Ukitake-Taicho has tuberculosis. It makes him very ill most of the time and causes him to have the tendency to cough blood. " Rukia stated matter of factly.

"It's what caused my hair to go white." He said with a sigh.

I laughed lightly and swung my legs over the side of the bed and as I went to stand up I staggered which prompted Ukitake to wrap and around my shoulders steadying me.

"You shouldn't be so quick to stand up." He scolded me lightly.

"I'll be fine, I just need some rest. But there are people who are more injured and need this room more than I do." The bodies of those who laid scattered on the ground flashed through my mind and I shivered. How many people were dead?

"Don't worry, there were very few casualties, but the majority of the 10th division is destroyed." Rukia said noting the worried look on my face.

"Kuchiki-San I'm trusting you to get Rin home and make sure that she gets plenty of rest before starting her training again." Ukitake said patting Rukia on the head, ruffling her hair.

"Yes Taicho!"

"Rin, please feel free to come and see me whenever you want. I'm worry I couldn't have aided you more in battle today. Take care." He said with a smile and a wink.

Rukia and I left 4th Division to head back to her house in silence. I had only been here for two days and it felt as if so much has happened. I had met so many new people and even had my first battle with a hollow. Three menos grande that is. My shoulder throbbed with a dull pain as we arrived back to the Kuchiki Residence, where Byakuya was waiting outside, his arms crossed and a slight look of worry on his face.

"Nii-Sama? What are you doing outside?" Rukia asked as we approached him.

"I have been waiting her for you and Rin. I heard about the attack on 10th Division and Rin getting injured, it's my job to make sure both you and Rin are safe." His voice was cold and he turned on his heel and promptly went inside.

"You'll get used to his mood swing, I promise." Rukia said with a sigh as we went inside.

"Nii-Sama!" Rukia called to her brother who was walking ahead of us, "What do you know about the attacks today? We're they random or do you think it was planned?" She asked.

"That is not of your concern Rukia, I suggest you not worry about it." He didn't look at her when he spoke, he looked straight ahead.

"Look at her when she's talking to you." I suddenly said before I could think. Byakuya stopped and turnt to me, a small smirk on his face.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" He took a step closer and I shrank back.

"I'm sorry, but it's just that Rukia respects you so much I figure she should at least get the respect of being looked at while you talk to her." I stood up straighter and met his eyes, I didn't plan on letting him intimidate me, no matter how much I was shivering on the inside.

"Hold your tongue next time you speak. I will not tolerate disrespect." With that he was gone, a cold breeze in his place.

Rukia was looking at me with a mixture of shock and disbelief, "I have never seen anybody stand up to Nii-Sama in such way. That was true courage Rin. You didn't need to do that for me." As Rukia said the last part of her sentence she looked away.

"No, I did. You're my friend, and he should treat you with just as much respect as you give him. It's only fair."

Rukia laughed, so hard tears rolled down her cheeks, "You are really something else Rin. You're not even here two days and you've managed to stand up to the most intimidating person in all of Soul Society. I really envy you for your guts." She said in between fits of laughter

Rukia walked me to my room, "Good night Rin. Please try and rest. I get the feeling your next training session with Nii-Sama is going to be worse than the one today."

"Good night Rukia."

As I sat in my room, the last fleeting rays of sunlight shone through the paper walls, setting the room aglow. I pulled out a small note book that I have had longer than I could remember, it's paper was yellow and curling at the corners, showing it's old age. I took the ink and brush off the small table that was provided for me and began writing.

_"In time such things have changed quicker than the blink of an eye. This new world I have been introduced into is more than one can ever imagine, coming from the dirt to riches, from a no one, to a person with friends and those who cared for you. Who am I to deserve this? For this opportunity to prove myself and become someone who never thought they would amount to anything, I am truly grateful..."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! Here with a new chapter of Dignified, I have several written out but I just keep forgetting to upload them here XD But I'm also on vacation so I'm a bit lazy. Hope you enjoy this chapter, leave me a review if you have the time and let me know what you think, what I can improve on ect. Stay awesome. **

I was awoke by the screams of people, the sound of explosions, and the trembling of the Earth. I jumped up and ran outside where Rukia was already waiting for me.

"We're under attack!" Her face was barely concealing her fear.

"By who?" I exclaimed drawing my sword looking around frantically.

"It's a menos grande attack, there are so many, they're destroying soul society!"

That was all it took for us to run, the menos were everywhere, and one after another they attacked us. Buildings were up in flames, blood was splattered across the concrete, bodies lay everywhere, the majority of them dead. The sight of so many people dead, brought tears to my eyes. It was as if I felt their sorrowful spirits calling out to me. We ran into Captain Ukitake who stood with a man in a sombrero and flowing pink robe.

"No time for introductions now Love." He said with a wink as he jumped up and cut another menos down.

"Is this a random attack?" Rukia asked Ukitake.

"No. This was planned, though what for I don't know." His voice was so grim, and it made the entire situation worse.

"Let's split up! We'll cover more ground!" The man in pink yelled.

We all nodded and branched out, and as I fought I was never tired, only angered more and more by the fact that today so many had died. Once I had slaughtered all the menos in my area I fell back against the wall, slumping to the ground as my emotions overwhelmed me. Tears flowed down my face freely, and I scolded myself, this was no time to be crying. People needed help. But no matter how much I tried I couldn't get the tears to stop.

_"Why do you weep my child?" _A whisper of a voice floated around me. I looked around but found no one near me except for the bodies of those who had already moved on.

"Who's there?" I called out nervously, wiping my eyes as to not appear as weak as I truly was. I went to reach for my sword when I noticed it was glowing a white, silver color. Then it all went white. That's all I saw, was pure, blinding white light.

"Where am I?" I called out, my voice echoing into nothingness.

Suddenly my sword appeared and from there it transformed into a woman. She stood out in stark contrast to the white that surrounded us, she wore a white gown that flowed all the way to her feet, it hung off of her shoulders slightly, reveling her pale, porcelain skin. As she stepped forward you could see her long legs from both the slits that were on either side of her dress. I stared at her in awe.

"Who-Who are you?" I stood up looking around, "Am I dead?" Panic struck through my chest at the very thought,

She laughed softly, "No my child, you are not dead. We are merely suspended in time. I am your zanpakuto; Hikari Michiko." Her deep blue eyes found mine.

"My sword?" I was confused, how could my sword be a person.

"Everyone's sword has a person or a personification, every zanpakuto in a sense has a soul. I am yours." As she said that, two black wings sprouted from her back and spanned out on either side of her, making her long black hair fly up. I gasped and took a step back, amazed and scared all at the same time by her amazing beauty and power.

"I was formed by your hard life and sorrows, growing up without anyone to help you. Teaching yourself everything you know, I took it upon myself to watch over you." She spoke with such tenderness in her voice that I struggled to not cry.

"I will always be by your side, you need only ask for my help." With that she faded away with a tinkering laugh, and I was brought crashing down into reality.

The world around me was burning, I couldn't stand up, and the world was spinning too quickly for me to get a grip on what was real. I grabbed my sword and it glowed again for a split second, registering my touch. I managed to stand up, stumbling a little bit. From where I stood I couldn't see anymore menos grande, but the destruction they had left behind was something else entirely. I picked up the bodies of people I could tell were alive and began making my way to the 4th division. Once there they were taken away from me and whisked into treatment.

"Where is she?" I heard a familiar cold voice asking.

"I don't know we don't have a Rin here at the moment." Someone stuttered back a reply.

I turned the corner to find a very scary looking Byakuya cornering a 4th squad member, "Kuchiki-Sama." I called to him deciding to use a formal tone.

He whirled around and as his eyes landed on me something in his face changed, and I saw him give a small sigh.

"Are you hurt?" He asked walking over to me, giving the 4th squad member a chance to scurry away.

"I'm fine." I said, even if I had been hurt I wouldn't have told him.

"Good." His eyes flashed down to my sword then back up to my eyes, "Somethting is different about your sword."

"I shall explain later. How much damage has been done to Soul Society?"

"A massive amount, this was planned. A little bit of every squad was destroyed in the attack. Head Captain Yamamoto wishes to meet with all the Captains on the subject, he also wants you to attend." I gulped, but pushed back the rising fear and anxiety.

"When?" I squared my shoulders back, taking a deep breath.

"It will be tomorrow morning, I will escort you there." His voice was final and I knew there was no way to get out of it.

"Rin!" A voice called to me and suddenly Rukia had tackled me in a hug, her arms around my waist.

"I was so worried about you!" She cried.

"Rukia..." I was touched by her concern.

She pulled away and smiled at me, "You want to go back home now?"

"Yes... I'd like that." I was exhausted, so exhausted that my feet gave out from beneath me.

Strong arms circled my waist and picked me up, holding me against a toned chest. I sleepily looked up into the eyes of Byakuya Kuchiki.

"You've exhausted yourself quite a bit." He said as he began walking out of the 4th Division, Rukia alongside him.

"I suppose so." My voice was soft and darkness was growing in the corners of my vision as darkness took over me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello there lovely people of Fanfiiction! I am here with a new chapter for you all and probably several others if you're nice ;) I have 2-3 more chapters written out that I may or may not upload. Depends on how much you want it. I'm devious. Leave me a review and let me know what you think I'd greatly appreciate it! **

I heard flickering candle light as I came to, I could hardly move. I felt so weak. As I barely opened my heavy eye lids, a calm voice spoke to me.

"You musn't move. You're far too weak." It was Byakuya.

I felt a damp cloth be put on my forehead, his hand lingering on my forehead for maybe a second longer than necessary. I felt a cup press against my lips and I drank thirstily, like I hadn't tasted water in days. When I pulled back I was breathing heavily.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice still hoarse and raspy.

"You exerted yourself too much in battle, you're spiritual pressure has been off as well. What happened while you were out fighting the menos grande?" His voice said that there was no way to avoid being honest.

I took a deep breath before speaking, "While I was out fighting I felt such sorrow and rage and sadness at seeing so many people dead. Everything just kind of went white for me, and then my sword glowed before turning into a woman. A beautiful woman with black hair and wings, but was dressed entirely in white. She was breath taking. She told me she was the personification of my zanpakuto."

Byakuya sat silent for a moment before speaking, "You have not been training for longer than a week and yet you have already met your zanpakuto. This is stunning. Most shinigami do not see their zanpakuto until they have at least graduated the academy.." I wasn't even sure if he was talking to me, it seemed like he was talking to himself.

"What does this mean?" I asked looking up at him, his face bathed in the candle light.. He glanced down at me, a small smile on his face.

"It means you're much stronger than we anticipated. But with being a young shinigami and having such power, it can be damaging to your body, your mind, and your soul. We shall have to just watch to you closely."

I sighed and tried to sit up, but Byakuya put a firm hand on my shoulder, "No. You must rest some more before we attend the captains meeting, you shall need your strength." His eyes were almost soft with concern, but I could still not detect any definite emotions lingering behind them.

I laid down reluctantly, and allowed the darkness to consume me once more.

_"You're nothing but filth, why are you here? Leave you piece of trash." A man yelled at me as he found me sleeping underneath his steps while rain poured down from the black sky. I tried to scurry away, but not before I felt the painful lash of a wooden stick at the back of my legs. I blinked back the tears as I ran. I had nowhere to go. So I just ran. When I finally collapsed I was in a patch of dense woodland, the trees overhead protecting me slightly from the weather's harsh attack._

_I let tears fall freely from my eyes, so much until my body was shaking violently from the sobs that escaped me. My lungs hurt, I couldn't breathe, I was being crushed by my own wave of emotions that were consuming me. I bit the inside of my cheek to finally stop the tears and I sat up. My already bright pink eyes glowing even more. I felt something deep within me stir. Determination to not be a piece of dirt. I wanted to amount to something more. No, I would amount to something more! I will get out of this hole that I call my life! I instantly began training myself to be in peak physical condition. And I would never give up until I could stand against anything, or anyone!_

_Suddenly that scene dissipated and I was floating above the crystal clear ocean._

_"You were very determined to win. Whenever you made that decision to amount to something, you were only 13. You had already faced the brutality that is life. Now you are fulfilling that dream. You are becoming more than you could have ever hoped to be." The voice was that of my zanpakuto._

_"Yes, I'm not going to lose. I refuse to back down, I refuse to cry, I refuse to be defeated!" My voice steadily grew louder._

_My zanpakuto laughed, she seemed to be all around me, "You my child are one of the most amazing people I have ever seen. I am honored to be by your side. But I must warn you, if you cannot control your power that is building deep within you, it will destroy you from the inside out." Her voice was suddenly darker and more ominous. I fell from the air and was submerged into the ice water, it was no longer crystal clear but was as black as night. I opened my mouth to scream but water filled my lungs and the surface of the water drifted farther and farther away. My body was like ice, frozen as I sank farther and farther into the deep abyss. _

Someone was shaking me, I couldn't seem to open my heavy lids. I rushed up and began coughing. When I finally collected my bearing I was looking into the worried eyes of Byakuya who was very close to my face. I completely forgot about my horrifying dream, I was too caught up in analyzing his sharp and angular face.

"What just happened?" I whispered, still trying to catch my breath. It felt as if I had just ran around the world and back.

"You were calling out in your sleep, and then you began coughing and having trouble breathing. What did you dream about?" He asked, and I thought I could hear genuine concern laced within his smooth voice.

I tried to recall, but it seems as if the dream just vanished, like it had never happened. "I do not know, I remember my zanpakuto, and water. I was drowning at one point, after my zanpakuto said something. I can't remember what though." The fact that i couldn't remember what I dreamt about was both a relief and a burden to me. I know it was important, so why can I not remember?

"Do not strain yourself. You were only asleep for an hour, and the sun will not rise for another three. Sleep. I will be here when you awaken." At the sound of his promise I once more drifted asleep, this time without the fear of what was waiting for me in my dreams.

Whenever morning came I woke without fatigue, or sleepiness. I sat up slowly, testing the limits of my muscles gently. I was pleasantly surprised at the fact that nothing ached, and I felt normal again. As I stretched I saw something move out of the corner of my eyes and my hand was on my sword in a flash.

"Calm down, it's only me." Byakuya said, a small smirk on his face as he set down the daily paper. He actually stayed with me, he didn't leave, which was what I was expecting him to do. He handed me a steaming cup of herbal tea, and set a tray of food down on my lap.

"Eat and drink. We need to leave soon. Rukia will come and help you get ready." He stood and looked at me for a moment before leaving, What did I see flash on his face? A small bit of emotion seemed to break through his cold exterior.

Once I was done eating Rukia came in, she practically flung herself into my arms.

"I'm so glad you're alright." She said smiling at me before helping me up.

"Go take a quick bath and I will get everything ready for you." She said pushing me into the bathroom before quickly closing the door.

What did she mean? Why couldn't I just wear a normal outfit? I didn't question it anymore, as I quickly got into the deep tub, filled with warm and inviting water that had been calling my name. I did as Rukia had told me and made my bath quick, though I believe I could have sat in there all day and never wanted to come out.

I wrapped a fluffy towel around my body before stepping back into my room where Rukia was waiting for me, a box laid out on my bed, and a smile on her face.

"Put on your undergarments and take off your towel." A blush crept in on my face very quickly and I began stuttering, trying to find words of protest against her.

"We're both girls here Rin. Don't worry I won't look." She said as she turned around.

I quickly slipped into some undergarments before speaking, "Okay..."

"You're so slim Rin. I'm jealous." She said with a small smirk as she opened the box that sat on my bed.

"What's in the box?" I asked, glancing at her from my mirror.

"It's a kimono, one Nii-sama got for you."

Byakuya got me a kimono? My face flushed and Rukia's smirk widened. She began wrapping me in a patterned silk fabric. There were swirls of red and yellow and green, and it was trimmed in crimson red. The obi was a gold color with a red flower pattern, and just absolutely breath-taking. How much did this kimono cost?

"This is beautiful..." I murmured in awe as I ran a hand over the soft fabric.

"Nii-sama can go a bit overboard sometimes." She said softly, looking up at me.

"But why?" I had said it more to myself than anyone but Rukia's eyebrows rose before chuckling.

"I have been here most of my life and I can never get any emotion out of him. But since you've been here he has shown more emotion than I've ever seen." She finished tying my obi and then sat me down in a chair before she began brushing my hair.

I was left to my thoughts as Rukia began expertly tying up my hair. She piled my long hair on top of my head in a bun and tied it off with red and gold ribbon. A few stray pieces hung down in my face but she left them, saying they accented my face.

"You're so stunning Rin." Rukia breathed out as she stepped back to get a good look at me.

There was a light knock on my door and Byakuya stepped in, "Rukia, is Rin-" He stopped dead in his sentence as his eyes fell on me. My face burnt with heat and embarrassment as I looked down at the floor.

"Yes Nii-sama, she's ready." Rukia said as she handed me a pair of shoes which I promptly slipped on. I timidly walked over to Byakuya, suddenly feeling shy around him, where as I was normally very brave and would meet his gaze with ease.

"Let's go." He said, guiding me out of the house, his hand that rested on the small of my back felt as if it was burning through the fabric of my kimono. And as I looked up at his face, I found his eyes watching me, their shade deeper than usual and a faint blush on his pale complexion. He promptly looked away.

"You look very nice Rin..." His timid words and cautious attitude made me bust up laughing on the inside.


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter! Heck yeah! Enjoy you awesome people and make sure to leave a review if you can! ;)**

As soon as we walked into the Captain Commanders meeting room everyone fell silent. All eyes were trained on me. I saw Ukitake, and he gave me a warm smile and a small thumbs up, trying to calm the nervous flutters that were bouncing in my stomach. Byakuya led me up to a man, he stood up, his aura of power almost smoldering as I bowed down on one knee.

"My name is Rin Yuzuki. It is an honor to be here." I said calmly, trying to put as much power into my voice as I possibly could.

"Hm. Such fierce willpower and determination. You have an aura around you, you're very peculiar." He spoke slowly as he examined me. I stood up and held my shoulders straight, trying to look as strong as I could.

"You have demonstrated a large amount of power in the short time you have been here. And you have already met your zanpakuto have you not?" His question caught me off guard and I gasped. I had no idea how he knew that.

"Y-yes. I have met my zanpakuto. While I was out battling the menos she appeared to me."

"Would you mind calling her here, I'd like to see what she looks like."

"Fly Hikari Michiko!" I called out her name full and strong, and the air around us seemed to ripple as my blade at my side flashed a pure white. And there she was. Standing in front of me in all her pure beauty, her wings fully extended, her head held high.

"You called me here my child?" She asked as she turned to me slightly, a small smile on her pale pink lips.

"Yes. I called you here to show you to those who wished to see the power of my zanpakuto."

"I understand."

She turned back to Head Captain Yamamoto, "I am Rin's zanpakuto. Winds of the world feel my power, wash away those who are impure and cleanse this world!" The air around us suddenly grew fierce as if we were suddenly in the middle of a tornado but no one was fazed. Most gaped at her, amazed at such power simply from a shikai release.

"Hm. I see, you're a wind influenced zanpakuto. How odd. You seem very powerful. Why is it you were in Rin's Sword? Why her?" Yamamoto asked.

"She did not lead an easy life, yet she deserved one. She fought for herself, as well as for others, very little did she put herself first. She believed that those around her were more important, and that is how she is still. Her spirit is unlike many others. She's fierce, determined, strong willed, she will not give up in whatever task you give her." Hikari looked to me and smiled, I gave a small bow to her, fighting the tears welling in my eyes.

"Something is off about you." A voice called, both Byakuya and I turned and saw a young woman step forward, she had short raven hair, with two long strands braided down her back.

"My name is Soi Fon, Captain of the 2nd Division. Who are we to know that she isn't working for the enemy, some very powerful girl shows up who is not even a shinigami? It all seems like a bit of a trick to me. You also have a darkness in your heart, something eating at you from the inside out." She walked calmly towards me but once she was within a close enough distance she threw me against the wall, a knife to my throat. "Who's to say you aren't here to kill us off one by one..." The knife made a thin line of blood appear on my neck.

"Soi-Fon! Enough!" Byakuya was at my side in an instant, grabbing Soi-Fon and pushing her back to where he now stood in between her and me.

"Soi-Fon, your conduct is unacceptable!" Yamamoto's power shivered in the air and she dropped to her knees.

"I'm sorry Captain Commander. That was inexcusable, I don't know what overcame me..." She said before walking back to where she was standing. Byakuya gave me a small look, one that could be seen as concern before he walked me back over to the Captain Commander.

"That is enough Rin, you may be excused now." He said to me and I bowed before looking over at Hikari, she nodded before evaporating, leaving a faint breeze in the air.

"I will be home after this meeting Rin." Byakuya told me, I nodded my head and gave one final bow before leaving.

As soon as I stepped outside I let out a shaky breath that I had no idea I had been holding. I could hardly breathe, and everything around me seemed too sharp, too detailed. I didn't know what was going on. As I began walking back to the Kuchiki Manor I felt my blood begin to pound, it felt like something was killing me from the inside, there was a deep agony in my heart, not of emotional pain, but physical.

I fell forward struggling to call for help, I coughed up a dark blackish substance onto the ground, and it just seemed to continue to spill from my lips, the rancid taste staining my mouth. My eyes slipped shut and the dark abyss of death seemed to be whispering my name.

~~~ Byakuya's POV~~~

As I walked home the sun was setting, not only was the Captain's meeting excruciatingly long, but I had work I had to do. Rukia was nervously pacing whenever I arrived home.

"Rukia what's wrong?" I asked.

"Rin isn't here, she hasn't been here since this morning and I'm worried that something has happened to her." Tears were welling in my sister's eyes and I couldn't fight the immediate panic that rose in my chest. She was sent home at least 5 hours ago, where could she have gone?

"I'll go look for her, you stay here." I ordered before rushing out of the house.

Ever since Hisana died I wasn't able to feel true happiness, the closest I came to happiness was Rukia, my little sister, but other than her life was black and white. Now it seemed Rin tumbled into my life spilling buckets of color as she went.

I felt a deep dread building in my heart as I continued to look for her, yet she never turned up. The night sky had taken over the day and the moonlight was eerily flooding down on the desolate streets.

I looked down to the streets where a dark stain had covered the ground, nearby I heard whimpering.

"Rin?" I called out softly, another groan was my response.

I walked to the shadows where a figure was curled up on the ground. It was indeed Rin. I fell to the ground next to her and picked her up, cradling her in my arms. She was shaking violently, sweat pouring down her forehead as her glazed over eyes stared up at me.

"I've gotta get you to squad 4!" I picked her up and flash stepped to Squad 4 within a matter of seconds.

"Unohana! Rin needs your attention immediately!" I called to her as I set her down on an empty bed. She was totally unresponsive, a little bit of blood dribbled out of the corner of her mouth. Unohana came in and let out a shocked gasp,

"This is terrible. What happened?" She asked me as she ran to Rin's side and began using a healing kido over her body.

"I don't know. After the Captain's meeting this morning she never came home. And whenever I got there Rukia was frantic, so I went out to look for her and I found her in the alley, just as she is now..."

I took a seat and called a Hell Butterfly to send a message to Rukia, letting her know where we were at and to get here as soon as possible.

I couldn't get rid of the guilt that was in the pit of my stomach, I should have walked her home that way I could've been there when this happened. Whatever _this_ was. Unohana was strong at work, her face calm and collected as she tried to heal Rin as quickly as possible.

It felt like hours before Unohana had finally moved away from Rin, "I don't know what that was, but it's as if something was tearing her apart from the inside. She had a lot of internal bleeding, and she's lucky to be alive. She is to stay here tonight then she can go home, absolutely no work for her. She's on bed rest now." Unohana said in finality before leaving the room.

I moved my chair over to where Rin was, she looked peaceful and a ease. I went to reach for her hand but at that moment Rukia came in the door.

"Nii-sama is Rin okay?" She asked in a hushed voice, though you could clearly see the panic on her face.

"Yes, she is fine now. No need to worry any more Rukia." I said in my usual monotone voice. Rukia breathed a visible sigh of relief before sitting down in a chair on the other side of Rin.

"I know Rin has only been here for a short amount of time, but she has become like another sister to me and I don't want to lose her..." Rukia's voice was shaking with emotion and I looked up to see steady tears rolling down her face.

"I know Rukia. Do not worry she will be alright. Try and get some rest." I told her.

She wiped her face and nodded, "Hai Nii-sama."

Rin had only been here for such a short amount of time, and yet I feel as I she's been here all along. Like she belongs. I tried to stay awake and watch over Rin, but eventually sleep overcame me and I slumped forward falling into a dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey everyone! I just wanted to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who has ever reviewed for this story, they really mean so much to me. More than ya'll know. I hope you enjoy this chapter, please leave a review if you can and let me know what you think! Don't forget to be awesome! -Alaina**

Rin's POV

Whenever I woke up, I felt warm, nostalgic, and at peace. I opened my eyes and saw _the_ Captain Byakuya Kuchiki was slumped over sleeping, his hand on top of mine.

"He's been by your side all night." A soft voice from the doorway called. I looked up to see a smiling lady, her jet black hair braided down her front, a warm smile on her face.

"He has?" My cheeks turned bright red.

"Yes. He's been so worried about you. It's the most I've ever seen Kuchiki-Taicho worry since Hisana."

"Hisana? Who's she?"

"She was Byakuya's wife. Sister of Rukia. She had an illness that had her constantly in bed and sick and eventually she died. Byakuya hasn't showed emotion for much anyone else except for Rukia from time to time. But yesterday after Rukia told him you never came home he immediately went on a wild search for you and brought you here once he found you. But even then he wouldn't leave your side."

My face burnt even brighter if it were possible as I looked down at the Captain, "What happened to me?" I asked.

"I wish I could tell you dear, but quite frankly I'm drawing a blank. I've never seen anything like it. I collected a sample of the black substance you threw up and I'm having the Captain of the 12th Division examine it and run tests on it. For now though you need lots of rest. No more fighting, you must reserve your strength."

"Okay thank you um... I'm sorry I don't know your name." I said sheepishly.

"I'm Captain Unohana of 4th Division."

"Oh, thank you Unohana-taicho." I said as I bowed my head in thanks.

"You're welcome sweet one." With that she disappeared and Byakuya began to stir.

I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep, I felt Byakuya sit up and I felt him move a stray strand of hair from my face and then pick me up.

"Unohana, I'm taking Rin home, I'll take care of her and make sure she gets the care she needs. If she changes or gets worse I'll bring her back." His smooth voice said.

Unohana chuckled, "Okay Captain."

I feel the distinct feeling of shunpo and suddenly the scent of cherry blossoms surround me. I open my eyes and look up at Byakuya.

"Rin, how are you feeling?" He asked me.

"I feel okay Kuchiki-Taicho. Thank you." I said my face blushing.

We walked into my room and Byakuya set me down before standing back up.

"I'll have the servants draw you a bath before dinner." And with that he was gone. I swear, he has split personalities. I stood up gingerly and grabbed a change of clothes before going into the bathroom. The air was thick with steam and as I slipped into the water my muscles relaxed.

I tried to remember all that had happened before my passing out. I had felt as if I was dying. Like something was eating me from the inside out, it was a pain like no other. I closed my eyes and sighed, soaking in the silence around me.

_Suddenly the flames were everywhere, people's shouts and cries of pain were deaf to my ears. Blood soaked my body, my hands were stained red._

_"Why? Why are you doing this?" A voice called out to me._

_"What do you mean? What have I done?" _

_"You have done all of this, caused all this pain and suffering!" The voice shouted at me._

_"No...no I couldn't have done something like this! There's no way!" I shouted back._

_Oh but you have. Thousands have died by your hands and thousands more are sure to die..." The voice faded into nothingness and I screamed out in agony._

I awoke with a start, my breathing hard and labored, the water that was once hot was not cold as ice.

"Rin! Rin open up!" Byakuya was pounding on the door.

I quickly jumped up out of the tub and wrapped a towel around my body before opening the door, Byakuya looked worried, a deep crease between his eyes.

"A-Are you okay?" Byakuya asked looking away.

"Yes. I just fell asleep, I'm quite exhausted. I apologize if I worried you."

"It's okay, but quickly get dresses, dinner is ready." And with that he walked away.

I quickly dressed in a standard kimono and tied my hair up in a braided bun on top of my head. I walked timidly into the dining room. Byakuya faintly looked up before returning to the newspaper he was reading, I sat down across from him and suddenly Rukia came in. She saw me and tears were in her eyes.

"I'm so glad that you're okay." She whispered as she ran over to my and hugged me tightly. I was touched by her display of affection and hugged her back just as tightly.

She took her place beside me and dinner was served, the smell was mouthwatering and I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I took my first bite. I devoured all of the food I could, it felt as if I hadn't eaten in forever, and everything was new to my taste buds. Whenever I was done I finally sat back, a satisfied smile on my face.

"Thank you for the meal, it was wonderful." I told one of the maids, she smiled and bowed.

"Rin, do you remember what happened?" Byakuya suddenly asked me.

"N-No, I don't. I just remember waking up in the quarters of fourth division."

"I came home and found that you had never returned after the meeting, I searched for you and found you in an alley, surrounded by a black blood type substance. You were totally unresponsive." He said, sounding more monotone than even, though I know somewhere he had actually be worried about me.

"A black substance? Like blood?" I was trying to remember leaving after the meeting. It was coming to me in bits and pieces. I had felt sick, and I collapsed on the way home, but from what?

"Yes, Unohana couldn't figure out what had happened to you, which was the scary part." Rukia said.

What was wrong with me? I stood up and bowed, "Thank you for dinner, but I think I'm going to take a stroll outside and then return to my room to sleep." I swiftly walked out of the room. A feeling of worry deep inside me.

Not even the soothing scent of sakura petals could calm me, I sat by the koi fish pond and stared up at the moon, admiring its beauty. Something felt off, something was changing inside me, and I didn't know what. These dreams, and visions I've been having are scaring me even more, I don't know if they are simply dreams or a warning of what is to come.


End file.
